Behind the Lens: Photographing My First FIFA World Cup Match

When people see the final images from a World Cup match, they rarely see everything that happens before kickoff.

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to photograph my first FIFA World Cup match as the Netherlands faced Japan in Dallas. While the match itself lasted 90 minutes, my day started nearly four hours before kickoff.

From the drive to the stadium and the mandatory coffee stop, to security checkpoints, photographer meetings, setting up a remote camera behind the goal, and finding my position on the field, there is a lot that happens before the first whistle.

One of my favorite parts of covering major events is seeing familiar faces in the photo workroom and catching up with photographers from around the world. Then it’s time to focus, prepare, and make sure every piece of gear is ready when the action starts.

The reel below offers a quick behind-the-scenes look at what game day is like from a photographer’s perspective—from arrival to final images.

This was the first of nine World Cup matches I’ll be covering this summer, and I’m looking forward to sharing more stories and photographs along the way.

Watch the behind-the-scenes reel below and follow along as the World Cup journey continues.